Animal Rescue for Standard Poodles

The Humane Society of the United States estimates that approximately 25 percent of the dogs in shelters are purebred dogs. Some of these are products of puppy mills, purchased by unsuspecting buyers who paid a lot of money only to give their puppies up when the inevitable health, behavioral or genetic problems arise. If you are looking to adopt a standard poodle, your local animal shelter or dog pound may be a good place to start. This is especially true if you are willing to adopt a mixed-breed dog that appears to be bred of a standard poodle.

If you are looking to adopt a standard poodle, Petfinder (petfinder.org) and Adopt a Pet (adoptapet.com) are two great places to start. Their user-friendly databases make it easy to find exactly the kind of pet on which you have set your heart. The services allow shelters and rescues all over the country to upload photos and other information about the dogs in their care onto the site. Potential adopters simply use a drop-down menu to input the breed, size and age of the pet they want, as well as a zip code, and the search engine returns a listing of all the matches within a specified radius of your home. If you cannot find one within 100 miles, don't despair; many times the rescue organization will assist with transport.

Breed-specific rescue organizations exist for virtually every breed of dog. A rescue for standard poodles is probably not far from where you live. Rescue organizations usually comprise breed aficionados, breeders and others who want to help a specific kind of dog. Most of these dogs arrived in rescue through no fault of their own: An owner died, a family's house was foreclosed, dander allergies rose, to name a few.

You may expect to pay a little more to acquire a standard poodle from a breed-specific organization than you will at a shelter, but that's reasonable considering the volunteers have to pay for the dog's care, veterinary and other expenses out of their pockets. A poodle rescue is a good resource for those who wish to surrender a standard poodle, too.

When you're looking for a standard poodle or looking to find a home for one, make sure you use all the resources available to you. Alert your local humane society or county animal welfare facility; get put on a waiting list if necessary; contact friends, veterinarians, groomers and anyone else who comes into contact with animals and people who work with animals to let them know your situation. Don't forget social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter. Attend local dog shows and talk to the breeders of standard poodles; sometimes dogs are returned to them and they need to find suitable homes. Contact the Poodle Club of America and ask for their assistance in locating a standard poodle for you.